MOVIE REVIEWS
SCIENCE FICTION/FANTASY
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    • 12 Monkeys: ****1/2; fascinating sci-fi/adventure/suspense movie starring Bruce
    Willis. In this post-apolcayptic society, criminals are selected as guinea pigs
    to test a time machine. Willis, being a criminal, is selected to find clues to
    why most of humanity was wiped out by a biological weapon. Clues so far center
    around a terrorist group called "The 12 Monkeys". Willis is sent back to
    various points in time, where he's viewed by those in the 20th centuryas a
    lunatic. While in an insane asylum, he encounters Brad Pitt, who fully deserved
    a Best Supporting Actor nomination as one of the inmates. This one will keep
    you guessing until the very end.

    The Arrival: ***; the story of a scientist (Charlie Sheen) who monitors the
    nighttime sky for radio signals. When he discovers what he thinks is a sign of
    extra-terrestrial life, he's dismissed from his job. Certain that a cover-up is
    going on, he investigates...and discovers that extra-terrestrial life is not
    only sending signals...it's already here! This movie was generally panned, but
    I thought it was a good sci-fi adventure story, with decent special effects.

    The Astronaut's Wife - ***1/2 - Two astronauts (one of whom is Johnny Depp) lose contact with Mission Control for 2 minutes while in orbit, and they're never quite the same once they return to earth. Depp's wife (Charleze Theron) can't quite put her finger on what's wrong. But, whenever she's near him, she hears something like radio static, and has strange, disorienting sensations. A strange (what else do you expect from Johnny Depp?) creepy thriller.

    Blade Runner: *****; THE defining movie that kicked off the "cyberpunk"
    movement in today's movies and literature. Harrison Ford is a Blade Runner, a
    special type of cop who hunts run-away replicants (androids). The dark, gothic
    mood is incredibly well done. Rutger Hauer is compelling as the leader of the
    run-away replicants. If you enjoyed the original, and think you don't need to
    rent the Director's Cut, think again. Removing the hokey narration by Harrison
    Ford (which neither he nor the director wanted, but the producers insisted
    on) vastly improves the visual appreciation of the movie. The inclusion of some
    key footage also makes the ending more of a twist, and less of a neat and tidy
    Hollywood happy ending.

    The Cell - ****1/2 - Make sure to leave preconceptions of the importance of a plot behind: the critics who slammed this movie were probably looking for Shakespeare in the round. Jennifer Lopez plays a psychologist who uses super technology to enter the minds of comatose patients in order to treat them. Her aptitude for this makes her the ideal candidate to enter the mind of a captured serial killer who has hidden his last victim in a trap that is set to kill her in a short time if she can't be found. Unfortunately, he's in a coma, so he can't tell where his victim is. Lopez now has to cope with all manner of nightmarish creations that populate the mind of this psychopath. Experiencing that is what makes the movie. Just accept the rather thin plot, and enjoy it.

    Circuitry Man: ***1/2; (review to be provided as time permits)

    Contact: *****; Maybe my review is a bit biased, because I've always been a big
    Carl Sagan fan. Sagan's program "Cosmos" was largely responsible for my having
    an interest in not only what had been discovered in space, but what could be
    out there, yet to be discovered. Sagan's tremendous knowledge on the
    SETI(Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence) program was put to work in this
    movie based on his book. Scientific research is not a glamorous thing, and
    Sagan doesn't dramatize or gloss over the heartaches of trying to get funding
    for a project that doesn't have immediate results that can be sold for a
    profit. Jodie Foster proves the perfect person for the lead role of the
    passionate researcher. Matthew McConaughey is more than simply her romantic
    opposite in the movie: the very brief romantic interludes don't detract from
    the main story line. Rather, McConaughey, as the author of a book about the
    loss of religious faith in today's Age of Reason, tries to reconcile what place
    God has in the face of the discovery of extra-terrestrial life. Foster, an
    avowed atheist who relies on scientific proof in life, encounters a wide
    arrayof problems when she discovers signals emanating from a nearby star. The
    military, religious groups, and big business all have a stake in what's going
    on, creating a circus atmosphere that would certainly occur if such a discovery
    were actually made. The amazing use of actual clips of President Clinton added
    an even greater sense of realism (as opposed to having a "President Jones", who
    was actually someone like Gene Hackman). The special effects are eye-popping,
    but they are reserved for the last half hour of the movie. This is not a movie
    that relies of special effects to make it interesting: the story, the acting,
    and the cinematography (some of the best camera work I've seen in a long
    time)make "Contact" engrossing, powerful, and thought-provoking. It's a shame
    Sagan- who died in December - can't see that his legacy will be one of the
    finest science fiction films ever made.

    The Craft: ****; surprisingly good story about a coven of high school witches
    who extract vengeance on their tormentors. This sounds like typical "teenage
    exploitation" fare, but it's a definite cut above that. As one reviewer aptly
    put it, this movie is "a cross between 'Carrie' and 'Clueless'."

    Dragonheart: **1/2; (review to be provided as time permits)

    Edward Scissorhands: ****; (review to be provided as time permits)

    Event Horizon: see review under "HORROR"

    The Fifth Element: ***1/2; (review to be provided as time permits)

    Hardware: **; (review to be provided as time permits)

    Highlander: ****; a cult film about a man who was born centuries ago, and can
    only be killed if he's decapitated. The story covers his journey through the
    ages until modern times, and his encounters with other immortals who were
    blessed (cursed?) with immortality. If you enjoy action-oriented,
    sword-swinging fantasy, this is the movie for you. However, I've been surprised
    to see mediocre reviews of this movie. Then again, what do I know?

    Highlander II (the Quickening): *; the movie starts promising enough, but
    degenerates into a chaotic mess. I'm not sure if it's true that Sean Connery
    (who was also in the original) disavows all knowledge of this movie, but he
    should. There are numerous occasions when you will find yourself saying "huh?"
    at the lapses in logic. This is apparently corrected in the Director's Cut,
    which restores about 15 minutes of footage, but I haven't been brave enough to
    see it yet.

    Jumanji: ***1/2; (review to be provided as time permits)

    Ladyhawk: ****; (review to be provided as time permits)

    Lawnmower Man: ***1/2; (review to be provided as time permits)

    Mars Attacks: ***1/2; Tim Burton's campy, 50s-style alien invasion flick
    featuring an incredible number of stars...and don't think for a moment that the
    stars don't get victimized by the hilariously cruel invaders just because
    they're stars.

    The Matrix - ****1/2 -  Is the world really what it appears to be? Keanu Reeves - in a surprisingly effective role as a computer hacker - has discovered a vast conspiracy that's far darker than he can possibly imagine. Mind-blowing special effects and taut storytelling have made this my new favorite sci-fi movie.

    Maximum Overdrive: 0; a horrid attempt to adapt a Stephen King short story
    about machines that come to life and go on a killing rampage. A mess.

    Men In Black: ****1/2; One review very accurately characterized this as the
    most original movie since "Ghostbusters." Will Smith is likable and funny as
    ever as a new recruit to an agency that keeps the Earth safe from
    extra-terrestrials, while keeping the citizens blissfully unaware of what's
    going on. Tommy Lee Jones, as the no-nonsense seasoned veteran, is the prefect
    foil for Smith. Much is done to make the concept of the super-secret MiB (Men
    in Black) agency plausible, such as using references to real-life events. The
    blend of comedy and thrills keeps the movie exciting from start to finish.

    Mission to Mars - *** - beautiful from a visual standpoint, and near and dear to any sci fi fan's heart from a technical standpoint, but downright silly in its hokiness at times (especially the musical score).

    Phenomenon: ***; (review to be provided as time permits)

    The Phantom: ***1/2; a highly underrated adaptation of the comic book of the
    same name, "The Phantom" is no Indiana Jones, but he's cut from the same cloth.
    Lots of action and adventure, with the 1950s serial style that made Indiana
    Jones famous.

    Photographing Fairies - **** - No, this isn't a movie about the gay porn
    industry. A photographer in early 20th century England has a great
    tragedy, and as a result devotes his life to becoming an expert at
    debunking photographs of so-called real phenomenon (like the Loch Ness
    Monster). That lasts until he finds an image in a photograph that he
    can't explain: that of a small but distinct "fairy". Don't spend the
    first 5 minutes getting the popcorn ready like you usually do: you'll
    miss a VERY important scene (the tragedy that changes his life).

    Powder: ***; (review to be provided as time permits)

    The Rocketeer: ****; (review to be provided as time permits)

    Screamers: ***1/2; Inventive, offbeat science fiction tale of a war on adistant
    planet between Earth corporations and rebellious miners, who refuse tomine a
    dangerous but valuable ore. The miners, with a major resourcedisadvantage,
    develop a robot called a "screamer," which is basically ahuman-seeking
    cuisinart. When a human without proper identification isdetected, these little
    beasties burrow through the ground toward the target andmake short work of the
    victim. The problem is, the screamers have started toreproduce on their own,
    threatening the miners who built them. Some of the newscreamers are what you
    would least expect. This story has the depth of a realscience fiction novel, as
    opposed to taking a bunch of flashy special effects,then adding the plot later
    as an afterthought. But the level of suspense, witha screamer likely to appear
    at any moment, is terrific.

    Star Trek: First Contact: ****; (review to be provided as time permits)

    Supernova - ***1/2 - an interstellar EMS service responds to a call that it wishes it hadn't. Nice dark sci fi, but not something a non-sci fi fan would be able to appreciate.

    Toy Story: ***1/2; (review to be provided as time permits)

    Waterworld: ***; (review to be provided as time permits)

    What Planet Are You From? - ****1/2 - Gary Shandling plays an alien who is sent to earth to learn our customs in preparation for an invasion. Part of his task is to meet an earth woman (who ends up being Annette Benning, in a very effective comedy role) and to have her conceive a child. Along the way, Shandling is mystified in trying to understand earth women (welcome to the club, brother!) but he also finds himself regretting what he's there to do. Especially hysterical for married couples.